John Whitelaw

Note that his father was also Major General John Whitelaw Major General John Whitelaw, (11 June 1921 – 18 June 2010) was a career officer in the Australian Army who rose to the position of Deputy Chief of the General Staff (1977–78). Joining the army in mid-1939, as a part-time soldier in the Royal Australian Artillery, Whitelaw was later commissioned and served in the Second Australian Imperial Force during the Second World War, seeing action in New Guinea and Bougainville. After the war, he briefly returned to a career as a clerk, before taking up a Regular Army commission in the post war years, which saw him rise to the rank of major general. In retirement he was active on many councils and committees.

Early years Whitelaw was born on 11 June 1921 in Hawthorn, Victoria, into the military family of Major General John Whitelaw and his wife Esther Augusta née Norman. His brothers Frederick Thomas and Price Stewart (Norman) also served as artillery officers, Frederick as a brigadier and Price as a major. Whitelaw attended schools in both rural and urban Victoria and from an early age displayed a penchant for mathematics. He attended Sydney Boys High School and Wesley College, Melbourne. In 1937, he commenced working as an indentured clerk with the paper merchants Spicers & Detmold Ltd in Melbourne.

Military service Second World War Having served in the cadets as a youth, following his 18th birthday, Whitelaw enlisted in the Militia – Australia's part-time military force – on 11 June 1939. Assigned to the Royal Australian Artillery, he was posted to the 10th Field Brigade, Royal Australian Artillery. He was rapidly promoted, rising to the rank of sergeant within a year. Based on his abilities and education, he was appointed provisionally as a lieutenant on 15 March 1940, and subsequently undertook full-time duty from 1 May 1940 to 25 September 1941, when he transferred to the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF).

Whitelaw was subsequently posted to the 2/1st Field Regiment, and then later the 4th Field Regiment, seeing active service in New Guinea and Bougainville. Promoted to captain, he was wounded in action on Bougainville; however, he remained on duty and subsequently earned a mention in despatches on 6 June 1945 while serving as an artillery forward observer during an amphibious assault at Porton Plantation to cut off the withdrawing Japanese.

Interbellum and senior command Following the cessation of hostilities, Whitelaw undertook a posting with a movements control unit based around Rabaul, until September 1946 when Whitelaw's commission in the 2nd AIF was terminated and he returned to his job with Spicers in Melbourne. In December 1947, he married Nancy Bogle, and in 1948 he was transferred to Perth. The same year, Australia's part-time military forces were re-raised under the title of the Citizen Military Force, and Whitelaw was appointed to Headquarters Western Command in July 1948 after returning to full-time service. In 1955, Whitelaw, then a major, moved with his wife, Nancy and their three young daughters to the Canadian Staff College at Kingston. He was subsequently appointed as the Exchange Instructor in Canada for the following two years. and awarded the United States Bronze Star Medal. He served as DCGS until his retirement in 1978. He was survived by his wife, their three daughters, and grandchildren.